USA
Lebanon
Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top
of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards. Song 4:8


                                  A Brief History of the Shrine
                                              Making the Decision
          In June of 1960, the Maronite priests of America met with Archbishop
    Francis M. Zayek in Washington, D.C. It was there that the Shrine of Our Lady
    of Lebanon was first publicly proposed. However, the decision was made to table
    the idea until further in the future. On the way home to Youngstown, Father
    Peter Eid suggested the Maronites in the Youngstown and surrounding areas
    should buy a large piece of land and build the shrine.
                                             Spotting the Land
          One day while driving along Lipkey Road in Jackson Township, Father Eid
    noticed a sign, "Property for Sale 80 Acres". "That's it", he said. He was
    impressed by the long frontage, the evergreens of the State Forest, the Meander
    Reservoir (close to the property), the turnpike gate and the nearby Holiday Inn.
                                      A Difficult Encounter
          The owner of this property told Father Eid that she "will never sell to a
    Catholic!"   He tried to explain that a house of prayer would be much better than
    a junkyard or a supermarket, but to no avail. After three visits, Father Eid told
    her, "This is my last visit. But, I am going to call my friends and we will pray for
    nine days so that He will tell you to sell us the land to build a Sanctuary for His
    Mother, Mary". Father Eid then called upon his brother, Father Maroun Eid,
    Father Maroun Abi Nader and his brother Father Elias Abi Nader to pray a
    novena for this very intention.
          Surprisingly, before the nine days were over, the lady owning the land called
    Father Eid and declared, "Priest! Come and take the land. Your Lady is bothering
    me in my sleep!” In 1961, Father Eid paid $3,000 for a six-month option on the N.
    Lipkey Road property.
                                    The Purchase and Approval
          In 1961 Msgr. Peter Eid purchased eighty acres of land in his name for the
    intent of building a Shrine in honor of Our Lady of Lebanon. The entire Shrine
    project was initiated in 1963 when it was proposed to the St. Maron Holy Name
    Society.  With the cooperation of the Maronite parishes in Akron, Ohio and New
    Castle, Pennsylvania the Youngstown, Ohio society became the leader for the
    program. The Shrine project received the approval of Pope John XXIII and
    Bishop Emmet M. Walsh, Bishop of Youngstown.
          Msgr. Peter Eid had a will drawn up which stated that in case of his death
    previous to his dream of a National Shrine being completed, the deed would revert
    to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown who could sell it and all the money
    from would go to the Antiochean Patriarch in Lebanon. It is through the grace of
    God and His Mother that this precaution never had to be taken, as Msgr. Peter
    did live to see that his and his brother Maroun's dream became a reality.
                                          Breaking Ground
          Ground was broken Sunday, August 16, 1964 on the North Lipkey Road site,
    about two miles north of Rt. 18 in North Jackson, for the construction of a
    $200,000 replica of the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon at Harissa, Lebanon. This
    was to be the first Shrine of its type in the United States, and would be built of
    stone matching the original.
                              Ground Breaking for the Shrine
                                          Approval from Heaven
          On July 20, 1965, the statue of the Virgin Mary was placed atop the tower.
    Just when the statue was put into place, a large cloud overhead turned brilliant
    shades of pink, blue and other colors of the rainbow. The occurrence was taken as
    a sign by onlookers that the Blessed Virgin was smiling on the project.
    Placing the Statue on top of the tower in 1965
                                              Dedication
    The dedication of the complete Shrine took place on Sunday, August 15, 1965, the
    Feast of Our Lady of the Assumption.
Virgin of Lebanon statue in Harissa
(Modern Maronite cathedral in background)
View of Jounieh
(Where the Christians fled to during the Civil War)
Mediterranean Sea along Corniche in Beirut
History